NEWS ROUNDUP: Former President Jimmy Carter Reveals Cancer Diagnosis…AND MORE

Former President Jimmy Carter recently revealed that he was diagnosed with cancer. The 90-year-old shared that doctors discovered the cancer after he had a mass removed from his liver earlier this month. “Recent liver surgery revealed that I have cancer that now is in other parts of my body. I will be rearranging my schedule as necessary so I can undergo treatment by physicians at Emory Healthcare. A more complete public statement will be made when facts are known, possibly next week,” he said in a statement. Carter, who served as the 39th President of the United States, has a family history of pancreatic cancer. President Obama extended well wishes to Carter and his family. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Rosalynn and the entire Carter family as they face this challenge with the same grace and determination that they have shown so many times before,” he said. “Jimmy, you’re as resilient as they come, and along with the rest of America, we are rooting for you.”Read more.

New Study Shows Black and Latino Children Are Targeted by Ads for Unhealthy Foods

According to a new study, African-American and Hispanic children are primarily targeted by ads for sugary drinks, and other unhealthy, high calorie foods. Researchers found that many companies who distribute these products have a large minority customer base. While they benefit from selling products to this audience, they’re jeopardizing the health of Black and Latino children. “This is a clear case of tactics that must be profitable from the business perspective but at the cost of fostering an environment that promotes poor health in black and Hispanic youth in particular,” said Shiriki Kumanyika, Chair of the African-American Collaborative Obesity Research Network. The study shows that African-American children and teens are exposed to 70 percent more food-related TV advertising than White kids. Read more.

Morgan Freeman Shares Why He Was Denied Roles in the ’80s

Making your mark in Hollywood is challenging, especially for African-American actors. During an interview with “Oprah’s Master Class,” Morgan Freeman got candid about the struggles he faced as a Black actor. Freeman claims he had trouble landing roles when he first starting acting due to the lack of jobs for African-American actors and was often denied those few roles for speaking up about the issue. “I read the script, and I go back for the audition. The producer or director, one of those, said, ‘Did you read the script?… What did you think?’ I said, ‘Well, you’ve got 11 people at the South Pole. Eight of them are scientists. Then you have a cook, a mechanic and something else; they’re all black. None of the scientists are. What do you think I think?’” he said. “Needless to say, I didn’t get that job. So, there was a period there in the early ’80s when I didn’t get any work.”Read more.